Perfect Infinity - War of the Multiverse
by PerfectInfinitySaga
Summary: Five teens, each from different worlds, are called together to save the multiverse from an evil being who has teamed up with numerous villains hellbent on ruling it. Planned to be a Mega Crossover of epic proportions, from Invader Zim, to Madoka Magica, to everything in between.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1: Your Boring Life

**_(Author's Note: This is my attempt at what I refer to as a "Mega Crossover" fanfiction. Concepts and characters for this fic have been in the making for about 2 years now, and I figured it was time to start writing the main story. If you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, feel free to leave a comment. I want to put a lot of effort into this story, and I can only do this with help and critiques. Admittedly, the first chapter is pretty meh, I might rewrite it later. But expect some really cool stuff to happen in the chapters to come._**

 ** _Also, if you would like to become a beta reader, send me a PM! I'm also open to constructive criticism from people willing to tell me the good as well as the bad of my writing.)_**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _I breathe in, I breathe out._

 _I feel sore all over my body. My legs and arms feel as if they'll collapse at any moment. My head is pounding, and my heart is beating so hard it might burst._

 _But despite this, I know that my suffering is necessary for millions of people. Necessary for everyone._

 _I stand up, my cut-up hand pressing up from the rocks below me. I wince, but press on, and I finally stand up all the way to face my enemy._

 _They smirk, their teeth sharp and the look in their eyes menacing. If I hadn't gotten used to it by now, I would be terrified._

 _But I'm not scared. Not a bit. Because, deep down, I know that I'm the only one that can do this._

 _Grabbing my wand sticking out from my back pocket, I stand firm, and whisper a few words of encouragement._

 _"They're watching you. Don't let them down."_

 _I lunge forward at my enemy, ready to attack and end this once and for all._

 **Chapter 1 - Your Boring Life**

 _And then I wake up._

* * *

As Tabitha leaned up to turn off her alarm clock, she sighed. She kicked the blankets off of her bed, not caring enough to pick them up. Today was Tuesday, after all. There's no time to care.

She felt that way a lot, now that she thought about it.

Making her way into the kitchen, she saw her mother cooking, while her dad was sitting at the table reading the morning paper. Her little sister was nowhere to be found, so she was probably in the bathroom.

"Mornin'," Tabitha yawned.

Her father looked up from his paper, and gave a small nod to acknowledge her, then went back to reading.

"Good morning," Her mother responded. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I guess." If she told them about the dreams she'd been having, they'd probably be confused.

"That's good to hear. Your pancakes are almost ready. Be sure to get Diana in here."

"Sure thing."

Tabitha grudgingly made her way over to the bathroom, where she expected to find her little sister. Instead, she was greeted with a familiar Minion plush on the floor.

"Diana? Are you in here?" A small movement from behind the shower curtain answers her question.

Tabitha groaned. "Get your stupid plush off the floor and get in the kitchen. Mom's making pancakes."

The shower curtain rushed open and Diana ran out of the room, but not before picking up her plush and shooting a mean look at her sister.

"It was just a joke..." she whined.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes."

Diana pouted, stuck out her tongue, and ran down the hall to where the kitchen was.

* * *

Tabitha Tennyson has been having a lot of strange dreams recently.

She originally didn't think much of them, but they seem to be the only types of dreams she's been having. Apocalyptic wastelands and evil entities seem to be the main theme. Which, admittedly, Tabitha thought was pretty cool.

She looked into it on dream symbolism websites out of curiosity, and "apocalypse" seemed to point to one thing.

 _Your life is about to change_.

Tabitha thought it was rubbish, of course. How would her brain know about her own future? Unless she was psychic, it'd be impossible.

She'd outgrown those silly things years ago.

There was a time when she was a free spirit and believed in many things. Magical girls, fairies, and mermaids. She had believed in shooting stars and healing crystals. But most of all, she believed that there were other worlds, worlds that were impossible to reach. Worlds that inspired her favorite shows and movies. Worlds where absolutely anything was possible.

Sometimes she would pretend to be a part of those worlds. She imagined she was in Hogwarts with Harry Potter, fighting alongside him and his friends. She imagined she could visit the Mushroom Kingdom and travel with Mario and Luigi. She imagined that her best friend was Ash Ketchum, and that she could see all the wonderful sights Kanto had to offer.

Sometimes, at night, when she was by herself, she'd go out back and see the stars. Tabitha loved the stars, but hated how quickly they burned out. And, even though she wasn't sure anyone was listening, she'd pray to the stars. She would pray that she could be a part of something bigger. Pray that the Doctor would pick her up in the TARDIS and take her through time. Pray that she could collect the Prism Stones with Cure Black and Cure White. Pray that her life here on Earth wasn't all she was destined for.

As the years went by, so did her belief in those things. Nothing changed, and she eventually accepted that there was no such thing as Hogwarts or Pokemon or Precure. She was just an ordinary girl in a boring world.

So those dreams couldn't have meant anything, no matter how much she wanted them to.

Dreams that could tell the future only existed in fairy tales.

* * *

Throughout all her classes up until lunch, Tabitha was lost in thought. For some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about the dream she had last night. Something about the amount of destruction and ruin around her, not to mention the pain she felt, had seemed so real. She knew it was ridiculous, but at the same time, she thought about the symbolism.

 _Your life is about to change..._

What the hell did that even mean? Life was normal, and by that, she meant boring.

At lunch, she had to push these thoughts away as she made her way over to her friends' table.

"Hey, Tabitha!" Riley smiled, motioning Tabitha over. Julie was too busy playing on her phone to say anything.

Riley had been Tabitha's friend throughout kindergarten. Tabitha would go as far as to say that Riley was her only friend until she met Julie. Julie didn't talk much, unless something really caught her attention, but Tabitha liked her anyways.

Putting away her phone, Julie gave a small smile. "How have you been?"

"Alright, I guess. Yourself?"

"My mom's been bugging me recently. She keeps telling me to get a job over summer, but I don't think I'm up for it, y'know?" Julie sighed as she pushed up her glasses. "Besides, I still need to finish my replay of Kingdom Hearts. I just bought the PS3 HD remake."

"I've never played Kingdom Hearts."

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot about that."

"It's fine," Tabitha replied. She was used to Julie's enthusiasm for video games, especially RPGs.

Riley cleared her throat, signaling both girls' attention.

"I have something to tell you guys," she said, her face lighting up.

"Yeah? What is it?" Tabitha asked.

"To kick off the summer, I'm inviting you both to my house for a pool party sleepover!" She clasped her hands excitedly, grinning ear to ear.

"It's this weekend. Do you think you guys can make it?"

Julie nodded. "Yeah, I think I can make it."

Tabitha thought to herself if she had any plans.

"Well, I think my mom wants me to start the summer reading project, but I'll have to see if I can convince her to let me stay over."

Riley smiled. "Awesome! I already have the movies picked out, too!"

Tabitha rolled her eyes playfully. "I should have figured as much."

Riley nodded. "You two know me so well."

The rest of the conversation seemed to center around Riley's crushes. She couldn't go a week without finding a new boy to crush on, it seemed. It also felt like she would be the one to talk the most through these conversations. Tabitha would just smile and nod, while Julie would make a noise every once in a while to show she was still paying attention, even though she usually wasn't.

The bell rang 20 minutes later, signaling the end of lunch. All three girls got out of their seats to throw their wrappers and such away. Riley was happy, Julie seemed happy, and Tabitha didn't know how to feel.

The thought of her dreams kept creeping up on her.

* * *

The end of the school day came faster than expected. Tabitha had a few sheets of homework for Algebra, but other than that, she didn't have much to worry about.

Sitting around her family at the dinner table, Tabitha tried to eat as quickly as possible without looking like something was wrong. Diana refused to eat _anything_ , because the dinner tonight was all vegetables.

"Come on, Diana," her mother urged. "Just one bite, okay?"

Diana puffed out her cheeks stubbornly. "No. I want mac and cheese."

"If you eat all of your green beans, I'll give you one of the leftover cookies."

A flicker of interest came across Diana's face when she heard the word "cookies". Her mother smiled.

Tabitha was so focused on trying to eat quickly, that it didn't take long for her to choke on a carrot. Her eyes watering, she reached for her glass of water and chugged it down as fast as she could. The rest of her family looked on in concern.

"Are you alright, Tabitha?" Her dad asked, his mouth full of green beans.

"I'm fine," she coughed. "I was just eating too fast."

Her dad swallowed his food, then shook his head. "You don't usually eat that fast."

Tabitha forced a smile. "I'm just really hungry today."

Her dad just shrugged and went back to eating. Her mother was too busy trying to get Diana to eat her food.

Diana couldn't stop staring at her sister. Tabitha noticed that she seemed concerned, but she didn't say anything, only stared.

After dinner was over, Tabitha couldn't wait to get back into her room, so she could relax in silence and hopefully get her homework done before it seriously stressed her out. But before she could reach the door, she felt a tap on her lower back.

She sighed and turned around. "What is it, Diana?"

"I can tell something's wrong, Tabitha," she said, her minion plush dangling on the floor from her grip on its arm. "Don't try to pretend."

Tabitha didn't have much of a choice. She had to tell her sister, whether she liked it or not.

Unless...

"Look, Diana," she said. "I promise I'll tell you after I get my homework done. It's a little hard to explain, though."

Diana stared up into Tabitha's eyes. "I don't care. You're my sister. If you need help, I'll be there for you. Okay?"

Tabitha nodded, sticking out her pinkie. Diana stuck hers out as well, and they swore on it.

"It's a promise, Diana."

* * *

The first thing Tabitha did was check her messages. No notifications whatsoever. _No surprise there_.

Sprawling out on her bed, Tabitha checked the clock. _7:35_. She should have finished her homework by now, but she really didn't feel like doing it at all. It was only a few problems, anyway. She could finish it before she got to school tomorrow morning.

She thought back to her dreams again, and for a split second realized just how utterly _boring_ her life really was. This was the real world, where nothing ever happens. There was no magic, or superheroes, or time travel, or _anything_. Why was she destined to live such an ordinary life, when everyone in books got to lead rebellions, save the world, and fall in love with the best people? Who decided that this was okay? Jesus? Buddha? _Who?!_

She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath.

 _Welcome to your boring life_ , Tabitha thought to herself before falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Night Walk

**Chapter 2: Night Walk**

 _Just because tomorrow's a school day doesn't mean I can't stay up._

Putting on her jacket, Tabitha looked around the living room one last time before slowly opening the door, wincing when she heard it creak. Her parents hadn't really cared enough to fix the noise, since it really wasn't a big deal in their eyes.

Stepping outside, Tabitha closed the door, tucking the key away in her jacket pocket, just in case she needed it.

Tonight was a beautiful night. The moon was a crescent, and stars were everywhere in the cloudless night sky. Tabitha sighed in bliss, exhaling a bit of cold air.

Walking outside late at night was one of Tabitha's favorite things to do. She had been doing it since she was 12, and her parents had never been the wiser.

One destination was in Tabitha's mind right now: the park. Glancing behind her one more time, she shrugged and started to walk away.

* * *

10 minutes of walking was all it took to get to the park. The familiar set of swings swayed gently in the night breeze, and Tabitha couldn't help but smile at her childhood memories. Countless hours had been spent at the park when she was young, and coming here had always been the highlight of her weekends when she was a child.

But as she got older, her love for the park started to gradually fade away. It wasn't until she was older that she noticed the graffiti written near the slide, often saying offensive things.

Hearing the crunch of the rocks under her shoes, she went over to the swing and sat down. She was getting a little big for it, unfortunately. She rocked back and forth a bit, hearing a faint _creak_ of what was holding it up.

Getting older wasn't all what Tabitha expected.

She thought back to when she was younger. She remembered wanting to be an adult so badly, so she could do whatever she wanted without her parents saying she couldn't. But she took all those happy memories for granted, never thinking about how much she would miss them when she got older.

One such memory she loved was the time she tried to build a time machine. She had just watched _Back to the Future_ , and she wanted to travel back in time like Marty McFly. She didn't have her driver's license, so she couldn't drive a Delorean like in the movie. She ended up settling on a cardboard box. She even drew a little Flux Capacitor on the outside of the box. Cutting out holes in the bottom, she remembered running around the house as fast as she could to try to achieve the same amount of speed needed to send her back in time. Her parents shot down her plans, though, saying that _Back to the Future_ was just a movie, and that just because she thought she could travel back in time, didn't mean it was possible.

Any other plans throughout childhood were scrapped by her parents. They always said the same thing: " _You're just going to disappoint yourself when it doesn't work._ "

It eventually got to the point where Tabitha just gave up. She knew her parents were just going to shake their heads and say no, so what was the point? She wondered what would have happened if they never said those things. Would she be different now?

 _It's always at night when you think about this stuff. When you're alone._

 _Alone..._

 _That isn't so bad..._

 _..._

If she was alone, she probably shouldn't have heard that rustle in the bushes just now.

 _Probably just a squirrel_ , she thought, ignoring it. But the rustling continued, followed by a low moan.

Tabitha's eyes shot open. Standing up out of the swing, she tried to locate the source of the noises. Following the rustling, she made her way over to the bushes, where she saw something that made her gasp.

It was a boy, laying on the ground, covered in bruises and bleeding.

Trembling, Tabitha got down on her knees to examine him. He had dark skin, wild hair, and a well-toned body. He looked slightly older than her, but she wasn't completely certain.

"O-oh my god! Are you okay?" She cried out, her voice breaking a bit.

A small whimper came out of the boy. Opening his eyes, Tabitha could see that they were a really vibrant blue. Those eyes looked into hers, trying to identify her.

"Where... am I?"

"Um, you're at the park?" She pointed to the swing set she had left moments earlier.

"I am? ...Wait, I _am_?" His eyes darted around the park in a nerve-racking manner.

He winced, gripping on to the side of his head. When he released it, Tabitha could see that there was a blood wound there.

"Jesus, are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

"No. I'll be fine. I've been through worse than this."

Tabitha raised an eyebrow.

Pushing his blood-soaked hand on the grass, the boy grimaced and soon collapsed. Tabitha was genuinely worried. How could you get into a situation like _this_ in Lima, Ohio?

Softly grabbing onto his arm, Tabitha did her best to help him up, as slowly and as steady as she could.

After getting his feet on the ground, the boy gripped firmly onto Tabitha's arm to regain balance.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're... welcome. Um, what's your name?"

"That doesn't matter." His eyes scanned the area of the park. "Listen, I need you to do something for me."

"Huh? What is it?"

The boy stared into her eyes with such fierceness, that Tabitha knew that whatever he would say next, he was completely serious about.

"I want you to pretend this never happened, and that you never saw me."

Tabitha blinked. "Wait, what? What are you..."

"No, I can't explain," he spoke softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's too risky, and I don't want anyone else to get involved if I can help it."

Tabitha jerked back, forcing his hand off her shoulder. "You're starting to scare me. Tell me what's going on, right now!"

The boy sighed. "I suppose you deserve to know. After all, this affects your world."

"Affects my... world?"

"The truth is, I'm from-"

The boy shot straight up and turned around, his body stiff. Tabitha could see his eyes were wide in alert.

"What the hell are you-"

"They're here. Run!"

Grabbing onto her arm, the boy ran, with Tabitha struggling to keep up.

"God, what the hell? What are you doing? Let go of me!" She tried to wriggle out of the boy's grasp, but he was too strong.

"Be quiet, they'll hear you."

From behind them, Tabitha heard another voice. The voice was monotone and sounded oddly robotic.

"Prisoner number 1210 has been identified. Preparing to recapture."

Daring to look behind her, Tabitha couldn't believe her eyes.

A group of six small robots, each with one red eye, were following them, and they were quickly gaining speed.

"Wh-what the hell are those?"

"Those are Trashbots," the boy said, as if he were used to this sort of thing. "Prisoner retriever models, to be exact."

"Trashbots? Are they after you?"

"No shit. Who else would they be after?" He groaned, rolling his eyes.

"No need to be an ass about it!" Tabitha wailed, still struggling to keep up with him. The Trashbots were getting faster, and she could hear a faint hum behind him.

"God, you're slow. Do I need to give you a piggyback ride?"

"Are you serious? I can do this!"

Sighing, the boy pulled Tabitha closer to him and flung her over his shoulder, his speed not decreasing in the slightest. She was caught off-guard, to say the least.

"Hey!" Tabitha lifted her head to look at the Trashbots, and saw a faint red light glowing from one of the bots' eyes. One by one, the other eyes started to light up. Tabitha gulped.

"Hey, uh, the robots' eyes are glowing," she said. The boy did not reply.

"Are you even listening to me? I said-"

"I heard you! God, do you ever shut up?"

"Do something about it, then!"

A laser suddenly shot out from one of the eyes, narrowly missing Tabitha's head. She squealed. More lasers started to follow, and it was only a matter of time before one of them hit her or the boy.

"They're firing at us!"

"I'm aware of that. Hold on a second."

Still keeping a tight grip on Tabitha, the boy made a sharp turn to the left, and into the forest. The lead robot skidded to a halt, causing the robots behind it to crash into it. A loud _clunk_ reverberated around the park, and Tabitha breathed a sigh of relief. The boy started to slow down after he was sure that the robots were disoriented enough to not follow them. He eventually stopped, taking Tabitha off of his shoulder.

She had a pounding headache, and felt dizzy once she was situated on the ground. Tabitha regained her balance and glared at the boy in front of her.

"What the hell was _that?!_ "

The boy scoffed. "That's the thanks I get for saving your life?"

If looks could kill, that boy would be dead. Tabitha groaned loudly, her cries bouncing off the trees and causing nearby birds to fly away.

"Listen here, you douchebag," she said under clenched teeth. "I didn't go out for a walk in the middle of the night for _this_ to happen. I demand an explanation!"

"Oh, explanations? If you wanted an explanation, you could have just asked. Jeez..." He tapped his chin in thought.

"Are you sure you want me to tell you? I don't if you'd be able to-"

"Yes, I do!" Tabitha whined. "Just hurry up and tell me already!"

"Fine, fine." He cleared his throat.

"First of all, my name. You asked earlier. You can call me Z."

"Z? Like the letter?"

"Yeah, just like that. Now, back to what you interrupted. You see, I'm... not from around here. I'm... not of this world, to be more specific."

"...You're fucking with me."

"Look, if you don't stop interrupting me, I'm not going to continue the story. Be quiet for two minutes, if that's even possible."

Tabitha stifled a groan, rolling her eyes.

"Like I was saying earlier, I'm not from this world. I'm from another version of Earth, in an alternate universe from yours. I didn't learn this until recently, when I was visited by a group of four strangers. They told me that I was in danger. That my world was in danger. I didn't believe them at first, but that's when the ship fleet came in. There were hundreds of them, and I couldn't believe it. So I went with them on their ship.

"On the ride back to their universe, they told me that the armada of ships belonged to the League of Nexus, a group of villains gathered from around the multiverse."

Tabitha raised her hand, fearing that talking at any moment would stop Z from telling the story.

"You're not in school. What is it?"

"What the hell is a multiverse?" She asked.

"It's multiple universes in different instances. For example, our universes make up a very small part of the multiverse. Who knows how many there are?

"Before we were able to get back to the fours' world, they were attacked by a League ship. They captured me, and from the sounds of what the guards said, it seems like the four got away safely. After being stuck there for a few days, I managed to escape with one of their escape pods. It wasn't easy. I picked a world to be transported to, one so ordinary that the League wouldn't try to disrupt the peace. I guess I was wrong.

"The pod ejected me away from my landing point, and I ended up in the park. I was there for about ten minutes before you found me. What were you doing out so late, anyway?"

"I like to take walks at night."

"Oh. Well, now that we've got the explanation out of the way, could you help me find my pod?"

"Hold on, I still have a few questions. How is my world involved in this, exactly?"

"The League of Nexus's goal is to rule the multiverse. That includes your world. They will stop at nothing to achieve this. Any more questions? There will be a pop quiz later."

"Ignoring that last comment. Anyway, who rules-"

"The League of Nexus? Lord Nexus, who was conceited enough to name his squad after himself. It really tells you what kind of person he is, huh?"

"Last question, I promise. What other kinds of universes are there?"

Z shrugged.

"I dunno. I remember one of the strangers saying something about movies or books or something, but it's been a while, so I can't remember."

Tabitha blinked, not sure if she heard things right.

"Hold on, what do you mean?"

Z shrugged yet again. "How should I know? I think they said something about different universes being based on different movies and books, but like I said, it's been a few days since I've last seen them."

"Wait wait wait... You mean to tell me, that in another universe, Harry Potter is real?"

"I guess so."

"What about Gravity Falls?"

"I would assume so."

"Kirby? Powerpuff Girls? RWBY? Sailor Moon?"

Z sighed. "Jesus Christ, _shut up_. I don't know anything about this. I didn't even make it to those guys' universe before I got captured."

Everything Tabitha had known until this moment had crashed down in an instant. All those thoughts as a child had come true. Everything suddenly made sense.

 _Your life is about to change._

That's what the dreams meant meant. That's what they always meant.

This was the moment she had been waiting for.

"You seem shocked. I'm just gonna... Go find my pod. Bye." Z started to walk away.

"Wait!" Tabitha shouted after him, covering her mouth afterwards.

Z turned around. "Yes?"

"I'm... coming with you. I mean, I want to protect my universe. It's where I live, after all."

Z shook his head.

"You just want to meet your favorite characters."

"N-no!" _Liar._ "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to come with you."

"But it _will_ be too much trouble. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You'll probably just run away at the first sign of danger."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Just like you did with those robots back there?"

Z growled. "That was different!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not! So lead the way, Z!"

To Tabitha's surprise, Z chuckled.

"You're feisty, I'll give you that. Alright, you can come."

"Really?" If Tabitha were in an anime, her eyes would be sparkling.

"Yes. Now help me find my pod before I change my mind. It should be somewhere over... _there_."

He pointed to a glowing blue light that was somewhat close to them.

"Let's hurry. We don't want to take any chances with any more Trashbots that may come soon."

The two started to walk to the light. The closer they got to it, the more it started to fade. When they finally got to it, the light disappeared.

The pod was somewhat small and cracked, and looked as if it could only hold one person. With someone as burly as Z, Tabitha doubted she would fit.

Z clicked his tongue. "Thankfully, I ripped out the tracking device, so the Guild shouldn't be able to find us."

"Hold on. That ship looks a little small. Will I be able to-"

"Fit? Eh, probably not. There's only one seat. But you could sit on my lap if you wanted."

"Seriously? That's kind of... weird."

"You don't really have a choice in the matter, do you? Unless you want to turn back now, of course."

"No way. I'll... sit on your lap."

Z laughed. "I'm not exactly looking forward to it, either."

He crawled into the opening of the pod, situating himself on the single seat. He patted his knee, motioning Tabitha to go over and sit there.

"This is ridiculous..." Tabitha grumbled as she sat on his lap, knowing she didn't have any choice.

Z shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to reach for the buttons around him. It was rather difficult with Tabitha blocking most of his view.

"Hey, um... What's your name?"

"Tabitha."

"Tabitha. Can you see if you can find a button that says "repair" in big white letters?"

"Yeah, it's right here. Do you want me to press it?"

"If you would be so kind."

Pressing the button softly, Tabitha jumped a bit as the pod buzzed to life. Lights illuminated the small space she and Z were in, and a faint whirring could be heard, signaling that the machines were functioning. The pod's broken glass started to materialize and rebuild out of thin air, almost as if it were magic.

"Whoa..."

"Pretty sleek, right? Do you see a screen in front of you?"

"Yeah, it's being projected on the glass."

"Can you navigate to the travel menu?"

"Hold on, let me try to find it." Tabitha said, trying to understand what she was doing. There were _a lot_ of options, and it took her a while to find which one to select.

"Alright, I'm in the menu right now."

Z hummed in thought. "Do you see a list of universes?"

"No, I - Wait, it just booted up."

"Okay, I need you to use the search feature to find a universe called 'Mori'."

Tabitha's jaw dropped once she saw the list of universes. Several familiar names filled her eyesight. Adventure Time, Ghostbusters, Minecraft...

"Z, you were right! There's a ton of places from movies and books!"

"That's great and all, but you need to focus right now, or I'm kicking you out of the pod."

Tabitha couldn't even argue; she was too mesmerized by the sheer size of the list.

"Mori, right? How do you spell that?"

Z was silent. "Crap, I don't know. I think it was... M-O-R-I."

Tabitha typed in each letter as Z said them. Only one universe popped up. Clicking on it, she read the description.

" **Universe-0002, also known as Mori. Mori is a universe ruled by an oligarchy of four young people. Mori is often considered a perfect utopian society, with the Rulers of this universe making sure everyone living there is happy with their life.** "

"That sounds about right," Z said, sounding almost bored. "Go ahead and click on the travel button."

Tabitha was beyond excited. She felt as if everything in her life had lead up to this moment. Her hands were shaking as she slowly, _slowly_ , reached over to press "Travel".

" **Destination selected. Preparing to travel on chosen route.** "

The inside of the pod glowed with a light blue hue as it started to rise up in the air. Tabitha leaned forward, pressing her face on the glass to see everything below her as the pod went higher and higher.

Suddenly, the pod stopped, floating in midair. A loud noise, like someone was booting up a computer, filled the general area around them. That's when the pod shot up into the sky, moving at an incredible speed.

Tabitha's heart started to pound. "Z, what's going on?

Z appeared unfazed. "It needs to go at a specific speed. When you combine that with the technology this pod possesses, you get inter-dimensional travel."

The pod flew faster and faster, higher and higher. Tabitha noticed that the outside of the pod (from what she could see through the glass) was producing a strange, flame-like glow in a multitude of colors. She could only hope that it was supposed to be doing that.

Suddenly, a blinding light filled the two's vision, and the pod felt like it was slowing down a bit. Eyesight returning, Tabitha and Z both gasped.

Surrounding them was a colorful, beautiful land. The sky was a dark purple, and the red crescent moon shone brightly in the sky. Tabitha couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful it looked.

The pod's speed decreased, lowering down onto the ground. The two were greeted with a large castle in front of them. The castle looked as if it came from a fairy tale, fit for a king and queen. It was truly a magnificent sight, one Tabitha thought was only in movies.

The pod's glass opened, letting in the crisp night air. The air was fresh, fresher than anything Tabitha felt back at home.

Leaping out of the pod, with Z following suite, only one word could come to Tabitha's mind as the castle stood in front of her.

"Wow..."

Z looked like he was surprised too. _I guess even serious people like him have something to be impressed at_ , thought Tabitha.

Z looked to Tabitha, a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

Tabitha couldn't help it; she smiled, too.

"There's no turning back, Z. Let's go!"

Running towards the door, two guards stopped her.

"What business do you have with the Rulers of Mori?" The shorter one said.

"W-well, I..."

Both guards' eyes widened when they saw Z. He was still bleeding, but he didn't seem to be hurting.

"Yo," he said, raising a hand to wave.

"Zinedine Shear? How did you-" The taller one started to say, but was cut off by the shorter guard.

"You may pass, Shear. And I suppose this young lady may pass with you as well."

The two guards moved out of the way, letting Z knock on the door.

Opening the door was a character very familiar to Tabitha, with black hair, light skin, and a tooth gap through his smile.

"Hiro Hamada, is that you?"


	3. Chapter 3: A Different Kind of Hero

**Chapter 3: A Different Kind of Hero**

The young boy in front of them nodded, opening the door further.

"Yeah, that would be me. Come on in, the Rulers have been waiting for you."

Z and Tabitha both stepped inside the castle, Hiro following behind them, and were completely taken aback by how extravagant everything was. It was as if the two had stepped into an art exhibit. Colors danced across the walls, painting beautiful skies and sunsets. A giant chandelier hung from the ceiling, glistening like a beautiful diamond. A red carpet lay in front of Tabitha and Z, leading to four thrones, each seated with one person.

As Tabitha walked closer to the thrones, she could make out the features better. On the far left sat what appeared to be a young girl, with short, wild red hair and pale white skin. Freckles adorned her face, giving her a cuter and more innocent appearance. She wore a frilly pink dress with black ribbons on the sleeves and skirt.

On the second seat next to the little girl was an older girl, looking to be around the same age as Tabitha. She had long, straight black hair and light brown skin. Her dress was similar to the little girl, except it was red instead of pink.

The third seat was occupied by another girl, likely the same age as Tabitha as well. Her black hair was long and curly, and her eyes were fiercely green. Her skin was a light shade, but somewhat darker than the red-haired girl. Her dress was gray.

The last seat on the far right sat a boy. He looked younger than the two teens but older than the little girl. His hair was blond and short, and his build was rather chubby. He wore glasses over his brown eyes, and wore a black tuxedo instead of a dress.

All four had their utmost attention focused on Tabitha and Z, who had reached the end of the carpet and was standing in front of them.

"You escaped," the girl with the gray dress whispered. "You're alive."

"It would appear to be that way," Z said, crossing his arms.

Her attention fell on Tabitha, and her surprise turned into a frown.

"But... who's this other girl you've brought with you?"

"Her?" Z looked to a meek Tabitha. "She's Tabitha. She kind of wanted to come along, and I didn't want to say no."

Glaring at Z, Tabitha turned back to the four Rulers. Even though she should have been excited to be in a world like this, instead she felt nervous. The four seemed intimidating, and she knew it probably wouldn't be wise to get on their bad sides.

"Tabitha," the girl in the gray dress repeated, focusing on her. "How did you meet this young man?"

"Well, I, um... I was walking in the park, and I heard a noise behind a bush. I went to look, and I... saw him. He was in pretty bad shape, and he wouldn't let me take him to the hospital. But then these robots started to chase after us, and we ran off into the forest. We found his escape pod, and... here we are, I guess?"

For a few seconds, there were no words. Just confused staring.

"That's all?"

Tabitha nodded. "That's all."

The girl appeared to be in thought. Tabitha took a step back, softly bumping against Hiro.

"I..." Tabitha started to say, but was cut off by the dark-skinned girl.

"It's alright, you can stay."

Tabitha squeaked. "R-really?"

The girl that had been talking earlier didn't seem to be okay with this. She turned to the girl next to her.

"Marina, are you sure? We didn't choose her..."

Marina gave a gentle smile. "It'll be okay, Silvia. Trust me."

Silvia gave a nervous sigh, sinking back into her chair before straightening herself up again.

The boy on the far right throne pushed up his glasses. "We should probably introduce ourselves..." His voice trailed off.

The little girl on the far left nodded excitedly, her hair bobbing up and down.

"I love meeting new people!" She said before leaping out of her chair. Brushing her skirt, she clasped her hands together.

"My name is Arianna! I'm eight years old! It's nice to meet you!" She did a cute little curtsy, making Tabitha giggle. _How cute_.

Marina stood up, with less energy than Arianna. "My name is Marina, but Silvia probably already made that known." She gave a thumbs up to Silvia, who looked away, embarrassed.

"I'm 17 years old, and I hope that we can become friends." She sat back in her seat, Arianna noticing this and doing the same.

Silvia stood up, her hair falling down elegantly. She probably looks the most here like royalty, Tabitha thought.

"I'm Silvia. I'm 16 years old..." She stared down at the floor, gently sighing. "I hope that you can become an important part of this mission." She sat down, but not before fixing her hair so she wouldn't sit on it.

The final Ruler, the only boy, nervously adjusted his bow tie before standing up hesitantly. "My name is Daniel. I'm only 15, so I'm younger than these two... I hope that I, I mean, you... can make yourself at home here." He sat back in his seat, shifting uncomfortably.

Tabitha blinked, unsure of what to say to all this. Judging from the reaction from Silvia, she guessed she wasn't really wanted here. Marina seemed to be okay with her, though. Did she hold more power, or was Silvia just submissive?

Marina giggled. "You seem really confused, Tabitha. Maybe we should explain some things."

Tabitha grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that would help."

Marina exhaled a deep breath before going into her explanation.

"Mori is only one universe among the millions of different universes out there. This collection of different universes is known as the multiverse."

The lights faded, forcing Tabitha's eyes to adjust to the dimmer room. A hologram materialized in front of her and Z, showing billions of stars against a black sky. The hologram started to zoom into an empty space.

"You see, the amount of universes are infinite. Every time someone gives thought to a new universe, it is born."

A spiral of lights gathered together on the hologram, creating a star that burned brighter than the others shown earlier. Tabitha and Z both looked on intently.

"Universes aren't _really_ stars, of course. This is just a visual representation," Marina continued. "But the birth of every new universe can be just as beautiful as the stars.

"Keeping the multiverse in balance is what we four do here. Mori is special because the magic here can be used to travel between dimensions. Sometimes, if something needs to be sorted, we go in and help the people of that world."

Tabitha raised her hand.

"This isn't school, silly. Do you need anything?"

"U-um, Marina?" Tabitha stammered. "How does this world even exist? How can this world travel to other universes, but my world can't?"

Marina gave a hearty laugh. "It's kind of a long story. But I don't have the time to tell it." Her face suddenly turned serious. "We need to attend to other matters right now."

The hologram's view of the metaphorical star faded, and was replaced with a symbol. The symbol resembled a neutron symbol, with an overlap of stars in the middle. Stretching out from the symbol were bursts of energy around it, almost as if the energy was trapping the star neutron.

"This is the symbol of the League of Nexus. Lord Nexus has been a growing threat against the multiverse for a long time, now. This man is driven by pure hatred, and he will stop at nothing to make sure that the multiverse is his to rule.

"As cliche as it is, this is seriously scary stuff. Nexus has shown no mercy to those who have opposed him, and he will surely show no mercy to you, Tabitha."

Tabitha raised her head to look at Marina. She was still firm in her expression. The other Rulers looked just as unsettled as she did, but especially Arianna, who had her hand over her mouth in fear.

Marina continued. "We need people who can stand up to him and his League. We need people like you and Zinedine Shear. If we lose this fight... free will and purity will cease to exist. We _cannot_ let that happen."

The League of Nexus symbol on the hologram faded, showing a blue, square-like shape. Three arches surrounded, resembling a circle. It almost looked like a snowflake.

"That's why the four of us formed the Multiverse Defense Force. Since Nexus plans to recruit villains from across the multiverse, we thought of doing the same thing for heroes who wish to protect it. We can't go out and do it ourselves, though. The citizens of Mori need us. That's where people like Z come in. We each selected four young people, which we have dubbed the Rebel Souls, from across the multiverse to find heroes willing to help our cause. Superman, the Men in Black, Finn and Jake... everyone and anyone is necessary for what's at stake here.

"No matter what, we're _not_ going down without a fight."

The hologram dispersed, the lights coming back on soon after.

Questions flew around Tabitha's brain. Not sure where to start, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"If I wasn't chosen, then _why_ are you letting me tag along?"

Silvia glared down at her. "Because Marina said so, and whatever she says, goes."

Marina shot a stern look towards Silvia, whose angry expression faded.

"Since you found Z, and since he couldn't keep it a secret, you are now a part of this. In fact, _everyone from your world_ is a part of this. They just don't know it. We'll need all the help we can get, even from those not chosen. But, if you would like to turn back, we can't stop you."

Tabitha felt crushed. Those dreams signaling that her life was about to change... was that all just a coincidence? She wasn't meant to _really_ save the world, was she?

Marina's expression softened into a look of pity. "Are you okay, Tabitha?"

"Yes," she lied. "It's just a lot to take in at once, I guess."

Marina nodded. "That's understandable. Now, Tabitha," she said, her expression hardening again. "Will you fight for our multiverse?"

There was somewhat of a hesitation before Tabitha responded.

"Y-Yes. I will."

Marina gave a soft smile. "It is decided. Starting now, you are a member of the Rebel Souls."

Arianna and Hiro started to clap. Silvia and Daniel tentatively joined in.

Hiro started to speak. "So, now that the introductions are out of the way..." He walked closer to the Rulers, then turned to face Tabitha and Z. "It would probably be a good idea to introduce you to the other Rebel Souls. Y'know, since you're going to be with them on your mission and all."

Marina gave a gentle nod. "Hiro will introduce you to them. They should be in the recreation room." She pointed to a door on the other side of the room.

Hiro smiled. "Come on, I have a feeling you'll like them. Or... most of them, at least."

The three of them walked to the recreation room, white Tabitha's nervousness was starting to reform.

Silvia cast a nervous glance to the other Rulers.

"Marina, are you absolutely _sure_ that girl can help us out? I'm having doubts about whether or not she's going to be serious."

Marina placed a hand on Silvia's shoulder, smiling with a sad look in her eyes.

"I don't know. But if there's one thing that's certain, it's that Tabitha has a lot of potential for this. I believe in her, Silvia."

Arianna chimed in. "I like Tabitha! She could be my friend! She could be friends with all of us!"

Daniel nodded. "Give her a chance, Silvia. She seems nice."

Silvia's brow furrowed. "I just don't know how to feel. She's going to be one of the leaders of the Multiverse Defense Force, and if she screws up..."

Marina put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"I know, Silvia. I know."

Tabitha was in awe as she entered the recreation room. The room was filled with almost everything a person could want for entertainment. A few giant TVs, a rack of DVDs for movies and TV show box sets, and a plethora of video game consoles plugged in to the TVs. She thought for a second that she was dreaming, something that she had actually felt several times tonight.

Glued to one of the screens was a person with short, black hair and pale skin. Tabitha couldn't tell what gender they were. They were playing a video game, which Tabitha could recognize was a Nintendo 64 game based on the controller they were holding. They also had, to Tabitha's surprise, a robotic arm.

Lounging on the couch, reading a book, was a girl that Tabitha immediately knew wasn't human. She had long, purple hair reaching down to her hips, tied into a long ponytail. Her skin was a somewhat dark shade of pink, her eyes a deep red. She was intently focusing on reading, even with the music playing from the video game.

The final person in the room, sitting next to the alien girl, was a light-skinned boy with headphones in. His hair was short and light brown, and his clothes looked sophisticated and royal. His eyes were closed, so he didn't notice Tabitha and Z walk in. Neither did anyone else, it seemed.

It wasn't until the androgynous person seated in front of the TV paused the game and looked towards the two did anyone pay attention to them.

"Hey there!" They said, flashing a smile. "What's shakin'?"

The alien girl glanced up from her book before focusing back on it, doing a double take back to the two. Putting her book down, she got off of the couch and walked to Z, examining him closely.

"You're Zinedine Shear, aren't you?" She said, her voice sounding almost serene.

"That... would be me." Z said, chuckling a little bit.

The person who was playing games earlier gasped.

"Really?! The Rulers said you were captured. I had no idea you'd managed to escape!"

A proud smirk came across Z's face. "It wasn't that hard, really. They were no match for my speed and strength. Nexus's goons had another thing-"

"Yeah, yeah. We get it already," Tabitha interrupted. "Didn't you say Nexus was supposed to be the conceited one?"

Z glared at her.

Standing up from their seated position on the floor, the gamer took a few steps towards Tabitha, Z, Hiro, and the alien. They stuck out their hand to shake.

"My name is Tate Robinson. Just call me Tate!"

Tabitha took it, Z doing the same shortly after.

"So..." Tabitha started, not sure how she should word the question without sounding rude. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

Tate rolled their eyes and snorted. "That's a bit of a silly question, don't you think? I'm _agender_. That means I have no gender."

Tabitha was mildly confused, but decided she would ask questions about that later. Tate didn't seem like they liked to be bombarded with questions about this sort of thing.

The alien girl shot a look towards Tabitha. "Zinedine? Who's this?" Her voice dripped with a hint of rudeness.

"That's Tabitha. She sort of tagged along with me."

She clicked her tongue. "I don't recall _her_ being chosen to be a Rebel Soul..."

Tabitha shrank back under her judgmental stare.

"So, Tabitha," she said, her eyes staring deep into hers fiercely. "You weren't chosen officially, correct?"

Tabitha shook her head. "No, I wasn't."

"In that case, what sort of special skills do you have?"

"Well..." Tabitha thought to herself about all of her good qualities. She wasn't any good in P.E. She hated math and couldn't solve many problems without a calculator. And she never considered herself a talented person.

The alien shook her head. "I should have known. I don't know what the Rulers were thinking, but..." she sighed. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now."

Tabitha's meekness changed into anger. Who did this girl think she was? She was just as important as her, Tate, and Z. What was with this superiority complex of hers?

"I don't suppose you have any special skills yourself, then!" She immediately regretted saying that when she saw a smile creep onto the girl's face.

"If you must ask... I'm rather skilled in leadership, I can pick up abilities rather quickly, and I can do _this_."

She pointed a finger towards Tabitha, and a small spark of electricity came out, sending a shock of static to her. Tabitha held her nose and winced in pain, even though it was rather minor.

Tabitha grimaced at the girl, who was still smiling proudly.

"You see?" She sneered, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm a hell of a lot more talented than _you_."

Tabitha took a step towards her, but Z held out his arm, stopping her.

"Well, you two could have introduced yourselves _a lot_ better. I don't think I've caught your name, space girl."

"It's Astra Nova. A pleasure to meet you, Zinedine Shear." She stuck out her hand, which Z hesitantly shook.

The boy listening to music just now opened his eyes. Taking out his headphones, he stared at the group huddled around with a confused expression.

"I... must have missed a lot while listening to this song." He gave a light chuckle, then stood up from the couch. His attention first went to Z. Opening his mouth to ask a question, he was cut off by Astra.

"Zinedine Shear. He's the final Rebel Soul."

Astra's eyes stared down disapprovingly at Tabitha, who glared back.

"It's nice to know that you're safe," he said, giving a small nod instead of sticking out his hand. He focused on Tabitha and smiled.

"Who might you be, young lady?"

Tabitha blushed, stammering over her words.

"T-Tabitha Tennyson. Despite what Astra may have you believe, I'm a Rebel Soul, too." More glaring between the two girls. The boy looked on in bewilderment.

Z sighed, shaking his head. "If you couldn't tell, these two don't see eye-to-eye on everything."

The boy frowned. "There's always time to work on that during our time together. Pardon me, but I don't think I've properly introduced myself. My name is Prince Green of the Shama Empire."

He did not stick out his hand, instead giving a small bow from his neck.

Hiro grinned. "Looks like the gang's all here." He turned to Tate, who gave him a friendly smile.

"It's good to see you again, Tate," Hiro said, with Tate nodding in response.

"Likewise, Hiro."

Tabitha eyed the two suspiciously. "Do you two know each other?"

Tate nodded. "Before Z escaped the League of Nexus, we three have been to a few universes ourselves. One of them was Hiro's universe, Big Hero 6."

"Tate and I became pretty close during that time," Hiro said, giving a thumbs-up to Tate. "They love robotics, like me, so it was kind of obvious we'd become friends."

"Not only that," Tate continued. "We've also collaborated on some really cool stuff for the Rulers of Mori. While this place is rich in magic and technology, it still needed a bit more help in the latter of the two. So that's where me and Hiro came in. We managed to build a really cool spaceship for the Multiverse Defense Force, with help from magic here in Mori."

Astra nodded. "The ship is known as Starship Rose. Green was responsible for the name."

"What can I say? Roses are pretty," Green said defensively.

Astra continued. "The Rulers of Mori granted Tate and Hiro permission to modify their ships for use of the Multiverse Defense Force. It has nearly unlimited space, a teleporter for different floors, and _a lot_ of books, DVDs, comics, and more."

Tate gave a nervous laugh. "Well, why not? We need to do research on the worlds we're going to be traveling to, after all. Anyway..." They cleared their throat. "I'll show it to you when we get the official 'okay' from the Rulers to leave."

The door connecting the recreation room to the throne room opened, and the six of them all turned their attention to who was intruding. It was Arianna, grinning like she just got candy.

Tate smiled. "Hi, Ari! What's up?"

Arianna just kept smiling. "Marina wants you to come to the ship bay. She has some news for you."

With those words, she closed the door, leaving the six to ponder what the news could be.

Thankfully, Tate and Hiro already knew where the ship bay was, so both of them lead the way for the other four. After some confusion (and the unfortunately similar hallways they tried to navigate through), the heroes eventually found the ship bay, where the four Rulers were waiting for them.

"It took you a while to get here," said Silvia, eyeing each of them.

"Well, yeah," Tate replied, smiling nervously. "This is a big castle, after all. I can't help but wonder how you manage to get anywhere without losing your way."

"Magic, of course." Silvia smirked, causing the six of them to groan.

Green sighed. "Magic? All this time we could have used just _magic_ to get here?"

Silvia scoffed. "That's exactly what I just said."

"Then why didn't you tell us?"

Silvia shrugged. "Hey, it was Ari who told you to meet us here."

"We're getting off-topic, here," Hiro interrupted. "Well, we're here now. Soooo... Why did you want us here?"

Silvia turned back to face the giant space ship behind her, nodding towards it. "That's why. Starting now, your mission has begun."

"Thanks to the talented minds of Hiro Hamada and Tate Robinson," Marina said, giving a wink to both of them. "They have managed to improve our ships, complete with everything you may want. Food, entertainment, and a lot of space."

To Tabitha, Starship Rose looked like any other giant spaceship from a science fiction movie. Maybe they would be able to redesign it later, with use of this magic she kept hearing about.

"Now," Marina continued. "You may be wondering where you should start. The multiverse is a really big place, after all. The four of us have gathered a list of universes that you may be interested in visiting. It should be inside the ship, in the notes section of the ship's operating system. Any questions?"

Nobody said a word.

"Alrighty. If any of you need anything, just use the phone function on the ship to call us. Our numbers are already put in. Please, _please_ have a safe journey."

Tate nodded. "We will, Marina."

Taking out a remote control from their pocket, Tate pressed a button, opening the main entrance of the ship. It opened with a flourish, with a loud noise that sounded like it belonged on _Star Trek_. A large pathway opened underneath the entrance, acting as a ramp. Tabitha couldn't see much, other than an abundance of light filling the inside of the ship.

Hiro and Tate both grinned at each other, their enthusiasm obvious.

Running towards the entrance, Tate used their right, robotic arm to wave towards the door.

"C'mon, guys!" They said, Hiro trying to keep up.

Green shook his head, but he was smiling. "They must be excited to show you specifically, Tabitha. We've already seen it."

Tabitha blinked. "So, is it as cool as Tate's making it out to be?"

Green nodded. "There are a lot of features, but I don't know how much time we'll have for all of it. I mean, we _are_ going to be busy visiting other worlds."

Tabitha sighed, realizing that that was likely going to be the case.

Z tapped Tabitha on the shoulder, catching her attention.

"Now would probably be a good time to go inside. The League of Nexus isn't going to wait around for a group of teenagers before deciding to rule the multiverse."

Astra nodded. "That's an astute point, Zinedine. We need to go, right now."

With Astra leading, the remaining three didn't have much of a choice but to follow her.

When Tabitha stepped toward the entrance, she had no idea what would lie in store for her. As the inside of the spaceship filled her vision, she couldn't help but get that same feeling she had felt when she first stepped foot inside the castle. The inside of the ship was basically a geek's paradise. Posters covered the walls, and there was a rack of books, comics, video games, and movies. A few meters away from the rack was a window, underneath it the spaceship controls. A touch-screen was in the middle of all of the buttons and dials.

Tate sat on a bean bag next to Hiro, reading a comic book. On their lap was... something. Examining it closer, Tabitha was somewhat surprised to see that it was a dog. Not just _any_ dog, but a robot one. The tip of its tail, ears, and paws were blue. It stared up at Tabitha, waiting for her to make a move.

Tate put down her comic book for a moment and giggled. "It looks like Roba likes you."

"Roba, huh?" Tabitha gave him a pat on the head, causing him to wag his tail.

Astra, Z, and Green were currently occupied with the ship's touch screen, navigating to the note section that Marina had mentioned earlier. Tabitha leaned over to check what they were looking at, and saw two note choices:

• Marina's Shopping List

• REBEL SOULS CLICK HERE

Astra selected the second option, and was greeted with a barrage of colors adorning the title.

 **Rebel** **Souls** **Guide** **to** **the** **Multiverse**

 _Hello! If you are reading this, then you are one of four lucky people chosen to save the multiverse! Before you leave on your journey, there are a few things we must tell you._

 _First of all,_ this is a big deal. _Nexus is scary, and if you fail, the multiverse will fall into his hands. Using your combined powers, along with the heroes you have gathered, you'll likely manage to defeat him._

 _Second of all, if you have anything to report or need to talk to us, or if you just want to say hi to Arianna, use the phone feature to call us. (Note: If you travel to, say, the Spongebob Squarepants universe, Ari_ really _wants you to call her. She hasn't been to many worlds, and she would love to meet those guys._

 _Last but not least, here's a list of universes we thought you'd like to visit first. Please note that some of the places here may have been visited already by the League of Nexus, so be careful._

 _Good luck!_

 _\- Rulers of Mori_

Astra examined the list closely, huffing in annoyance when Tabitha leaned in next to her to get a better look at the screen.

Below the universe names were short descriptions explaining the basic premise of the universe, along with a link to where to watch/read/play it.

"So, this ship runs an iOS operating system?" Tabitha asked, noticing how the the layout was similar.

"That's irrelevant," Astra muttered. "What matters is that the system works. Clearly it does."

Tabitha shot an angry glare to her, the alien responding with a smug grin.

"Anyway," Z said suddenly, trying to avoid any more hostility between the two. "What universe should we visit first?"

"We should take a vote," Green replied. "We need to narrow it down to a few choices, first."

"That sounds good to me," Tabitha agreed.

Tate and Hiro had just joined the others when Green started listing off the worlds.

"Let's see... how about Naruto?"

Tate shrugged. "Maybe later. I'm not feeling it right now."

"Alright. What about... Adventure Time?"

Tabitha shook her head. "I'm not caught up with that show yet."

Astra gave her a look of utter bewilderment.

"Are you saying that not getting spoiled is more important than making sure the people of that world are safe?"

Tabitha clenched her fists. "Could you stop criticizing me over _everything_?!"

"Both of you knock it off," Z said, his voice rising. "You both need to get your shit together sooner than later, or else we could very well fail this entire mission."

Tabitha crossed her arms, averting her gaze from the other girl.

 _It's not my fault she's such a bitch to me..._

Green continued to read off the list. "Family Guy?"

Everyone, at the exact same time, shouted the same thing.

"No!"

Green blinked in confusion. "What's the problem with Family Guy?"

Tate was the first to reply. "It's vile, transphobic, and really, _really_ bad. Just trust me on this."

"Well, alright then." Green scrolled through a few more choices before naming something that caught Tabitha's interest.

"Invader Zim."

Tate tapped their chin in thought. "That could work."

"Yes. Heck yes!" Tabitha clapped her hands together. "I loved that show back in 7th grade!"

"Can't say I've ever watched it, but why not?" Hiro said, his tooth gap showing in his smile.

"That's a majority," Green said, tapping on the link to watch the first episode. "I'll need to educate myself on this universe, first."

"Wait, isn't this illegal? Aren't you supposed to buy them?" Tabitha asked, which made Tate laugh.

"What's more important? Saving the multiverse, or internet piracy?"

"You make a good point there." That was all Tabitha could say.

Twenty minutes later, the six had finished watching the first episode, and Green was satisfied with that.

"We can go now," he said, walking over to the ship controls. "That'll do for information."

Pressing a few buttons on the touch screen, a female-coded, synthesized voice spoke.

" **Would you like to travel to this universe?** "

Green selected "yes".

" **Affirmative. Traveling on selected route.** "

The windows of the ship started to brighten, to the point where only the color white could be seen out of them. The light eventually faded, and Tabitha couldn't believe her eyes.

They were in space.

Millions of stars filled the sky, some flickering and dying. Tabitha remembered all of those nights she spent praying to the stars that she could be a part of something bigger.

 _It looks like this is it, after all._

Tabitha could have spent all night looking at the stars, but she couldn't. Not when her phone was ringing.

Before Tabitha could wonder how that was even possible, she checked who was calling her, at this hour of the night back at home.

It was Riley.


End file.
